University Press Releases

SCU's Global Women's Leadership Network to host 20 women for the second annual 'Women Leaders for the World' program

Wednesday, Jul. 19, 2006

Santa Clara, CA—July 19, 2006 – Passionate about causes ranging from improving the livelihoods of tropical farmers to protecting the world's coral reefs, 20 women from throughout the world will come to Santa Clara University July 21 for the “Women Leaders for the World” (WLW) program.To run through July 30, WLW is a residential leadership development program for women sponsored by the Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN) at the Leavey School of Business atSanta ClaraUniversity. Each WLW participant brings a project that seems impossible. Over the course of 10 days, each woman is challenged to design ways to fulfill her project’s objectives.

Heba Tarzi is determined to help rebuild war-tornAfghanistanone woman at a time. She works in refugee camps to empower women through health and education. Tarzi is one of this year’s program participants, who have come fromIndia,Kenya,PolandandJapan.

Lydia Bakaki, aUgandanative and graduate of last year’s WLW program, is living proof that the program works. A year ago, she dreamed that Ugandan HIV/AIDS widows and domestic violence survivors could own land. Since then, Bakaki has helped more than 100 women buy an acre each, paid in full. In September, she will testify before the congressional Human Rights Caucus, after which she hopes to rally the United Nations for women’s property rights globally. That’s something she said she wouldn’t have begun to attempt before her WLW training.

Another 2005 participant, Alma Cote de Yanez, saw her project grow from one computer to 30. Within 90 days of returning toNogales,Mexico, she had set up 27 computers. “It was incredible how my thinking shifted during WLW,” said Cote de Yanez. “My ability to produce results grew by leaps and bounds.” She is such a believer in the program that she recommended a local Yaqui Indian woman, Anabela Carlon Flores, to attend this year.

“I am truly stunned by who these women become during and after the program,” said Linda Alepin, a founder of GWLN and former executive at Amdahl Corporation. ”There is no doubt that women leaders like Lydia, Alma, and all of those who will be here this coming week are an unstoppable force causing breakthroughs in the fields of technology, economics, politics and the environment.”

About the Global Women’s Leadership NetworkThe Global Women's Leadership Network, sponsored by the Leavey School of Business atSanta ClaraUniversity, provides women access to tools and training so that they can become successful global citizens. In turn, those women are partnering with the GWLN in building an international network of women leaders who dare to transform the future of their organizations, communities, and the world. For more information, visit www.gwln.org.

AboutSanta ClaraUniversity
Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located in California’s Silicon Valley, offers its 8,397 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus master’s and law degrees. Distinguished nationally by the fourth-highest graduation rate among allU.S.master’s universities,California’s oldest higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. More information is online at www.scu.edu.